


with you by my side, we're gonna be alright

by Emixion



Category: Ever After High, Monster High
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, Love Confessions, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Requests, Tumblr Prompt, no beta we die like women
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28759398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emixion/pseuds/Emixion
Summary: "If love is truly temporary, she'll make the most of every moment."or, raven x jackson prompts
Relationships: Jackson Jekyll/Raven Queen (Ever After High)
Kudos: 24





	1. she's a, she's a lady

**Author's Note:**

> literally just a place to dump my various jackven prompts. chapter title from "Line Without A Hook" by Ricky Montgomery.

He doesn’t know how anyone could ever be afraid of her.  
  
Not when her smile is so soft. Her violet eyes crinkle and her gaze drops because she’s bashful like that. He doesn’t understand how anyone could hear her sweet laugh and think to be afraid.  
  
She is a gentle yet firm tug at his heartstrings, a steady, calming beam of light when she’s near. Never intimidating, never frightening.  
  
Especially not like this, when she’s relaxed and in the rarest moment vulnerable, when her delicate fingertips trace his palm and send shivers up his spine.  
  
Her beautiful face is lax and serene, her frequent and usual worries pushed away from her thoughts, leaving just her grace behind.  
  
Jackson finds her addicting, the way she hums in the quiet moments, the way scowls playfully at him, the way she pushes stray midnight hairs out of her eyes. He’s completely captivated by her gentle nature, the genuine care she has for the people around her. It’s comforting, it’s reassuring, never frightening.  
  
Sometimes she tells him about the people back home, where there are castles and crowns and so much judgement that it nearly suffocated her. Raven tells him about the people who sneered at her, the people who barked at her, the people who’s faces paled at the sight of her, eyes wide and terrified as if she’d strike them dead on the spot.  
  
It’s the most heartbreaking and nonsensical thing he’s ever heard.  
  
And though his insides boil with fury, he just kisses her head and tells her it’s their loss.  
  
And she’ll smile that soft smile and lean into his touch, satisfied with his response even though there’s a million more things he wishes he could do.  
  
He wishes he could tell every single one of them that they’re wrong, he wishes he could see all their faces as he screams and screams at them until his voice is gone. He wishes he could hit them, he wishes he could take all of her pain away, he wishes he could burn the damn school to the ground, but all he can do is hold her and whisper that they don’t know her.  
  
And in that moment she curls around him like a vine, soft skin and silky hair and tired smile, and beautiful beautiful beautiful but uncharacteristically fragile.  
  
Jackson is sure that if they could feel what he felt right now, they wouldn’t be afraid of her anymore.


	2. White Flag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for anon who requested a first kiss

She’s not sure who closes the space completely, but she knows she was the one leaned in first.  
  
It was a losing battle of staying detached, a game she learned young from her mother. Vulnerability is weakness, love is temporary.  
  
It was much easier when she was twelve and friendless. There was nobody to hold back from, just the emptiness that her mother considered a win. She’d sit alone and read her comics and novels without any one to think about.  
  
It didn’t stay that simple, of course. She made friends over the years, good friends who she could talk to about anything, (well almost anything) but even that didn’t prepare her for the whirlwind of emotions that would come with meeting him.  
  
He was patient and careful, never pushed her farther than she was comfortable with, never forced her talk when it was too much.  
  
And before she knew it, he was the one she looked for in a crowded room, the one she sat with at lunch, the hand she’d tentatively reach for and lace her fingers with.  
  
He listened to her. He understood her. Which was more than so many people in her life.  
  
One day she finally surrendered, waved her white flag as soon as his blue eyes mets her. There was no grief with the surrender, no mourning of her mother’s ideals. There was only a moment of heated silence before she let go and leaned in, letting their lips finally meet. He breathes her in like she’s the first and last breath he’ll ever take, his arms gently taking her waist.  
  
It’s soft. God, is it soft. He always is around her. He’s always a soft smile and tender gazes. She’s never gotten used to being regarded so tenderly.  
  
Raven sighs and moves a hand to cup his face, her other hand moving to play with the hair at the back of his neck.  
  
As she parts her lips for him, she idly muses that if love truly is temporary, then she’ll make the most of every moment.  
  
The white flag in her mind blows in the wind.


	3. Just You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for anon who requested a confession

“What do you need?” Jackson asks, an edge of desperation to his voice. It’s one of Raven’s bad days. The days when she mostly stays in bed and thinks. The days when her battery is running on fumes and has to recharge. She’s strong, stronger than many, but she’s still human after all. A human with her own demons that sometimes just keep her in bed.  
  
This isn’t in any way new to her, but it is to Jackson, one of her dearest friends from the monster world, who has made it his mission to stay with her and help in any way he can. Which is what led him to this, kneeling in front of her dorm bed on his knees speaking gently to her.  
  
“Let me know, and I’ll get it for you. Anything you need.” he continues, his hand reaching over to catch one of hers. His face is soft, yet resolute, showing he truly means anything. The thought makes Raven’s heart swell in a painful sort of way. “Just say the word, Raves.”  
  
“Just you.” she says quietly, her voice slightly raspy and at first she’s not sure why she said it. Was it because her brain is foggy? Was it because she’s tired, not thinking straight? Was it her impulsive nature finally nipping at her in the name of karma? Because it’s true, what else would she need except the boy who would give her the world?   
  
“Just me?” he parrots, seemingly surprised by her answer. Raven just nods, squeezing his hand.   
  
“Okay. Okay you’ve got me.” He says, shifting his weight to settle more steadily on his knees. “ I’m here.”  
  
Raven takes the opportunity to lightly tug the hand that is holding hers forward.   
  
“What?” he asks, searching her eyes for what she wants. “What is it?”   
  
A few months ago, she would’ve bitten her lip and looked away, but now she just gazes back at him, her silent plea washing over him after a beat.   
  
“Oh.” he whispers, almost inaudibly. He spares a quick glance at the door. the RAs would kill him if they caught them but he pushes the thought away. She is always worth the trouble.   
  
Swiftly and quietly, he climbs up on the bed and slips in beside her under the blankets. Raven moves over to allow him space, only to inch closer once he settles.   
  
Now laying face to face, Jackson opens his arms for her.  
  
“C’mere.” he croons. “It’s okay.” And hesitantly she lays against him, only slightly embarrassed. This was Jackson after all, if there was anyone who would understand, it would be him.  
  
Raven sighs as his arms circle around her, her head dropping to his shoulder. Her body relaxes instantly.  
  
“Is this what you needed?” He asks softly, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the tips of her hair. Raven hums, shutting her eyes.   
  
“Just you.” she says again, apparently that’s all she can say. The unflinching truth that he means more to her than she’d ever admitted.   
  
“You’ve got me, Raves. I’m yours.” he reassures her gently, his voice full of affection. So much so that Raven’s heart swells again.  
  
“I love you.”   
  
She hardly realizes what she’s doing before it’s already said and now it’s out there. Raven can feel his heartbeat quicken against her chest and it makes her throat tighten.  
  
“I love you more.” he murmurs against her hair, his lips brushing her forehead.   
  
She lets out a relieved breath, smiling against his shoulder.   
  
“Untrue.”  
  
“So true.” He punctuates his sentence with another kiss to her hair. “You have no idea, Princess.”  
  
“Tell me then.”  
  
“Is that what you want?” he asks, and there’s a light tease in his voice. Raven’s smile only widens.   
  
“Yes, just you.”  
  



	4. i really don't mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for anon who requested Raven meeting Holt

There’s something familiar about the kid in her music theory class, and Raven can’t quite place what it is.  
  
At first she thought it was because he was loud, like Sparrow Hood back home, but quickly realized that wasn’t quite it.  
  
It’s not the way he acts or looks, it’s just this strange gut feeling. Like when one recognizes an actor in a movie as another actor’s relative.  
  
He’s nice enough, kind of obnoxious, but he seems cool. Raven doesn’t know much about him other than his name is Holt and he apparently was a good DJ.

  
Honestly, she wasn’t going to dwell on it had Jackson not brought it up.  
  
He asks one sunny afternoon in the courtyard. They’d made it a habit to come here and lay in the grass to watch the clouds.   
  
“So…there’s something I haven’t told you.” His voice breaks the comfortable silence.   
  
“Oh?” she turns her head to look at him. She can tell it’s something big, by the way his face pinches.   
  
Jackson takes a deep breath, keeping his eyes on the clouds above them.   
  
“Do you know Holt Hyde?” He asks.  
  
“Holt Hyde? Yeah, he’s in my music class.” Raven replies, wondering where he was going with this.  
  
“Well, um, he and I…” Jackson shifts uncomfortably, turning to face her but having trouble meeting her gaze.  
  
Raven just waits patiently. This boy was here to listen when she broke down and told him her story. Her destiny, her mother, the rebellion, all of it. And he had placed a hand on her shoulder and told her she was brave. There was nothing that could come out of his mouth that would send her away.  
  
“We…we share a body.” he finishes with a wince, sparing a glance at her expression, half expecting it to twist with disgust or something else negative.  
  
But Raven’s expression stays neutral and she nods in encouragement for him to continue.  
  
He takes another deep breath, pulling off his glasses to rub at his eyes.  
  
“That’s why I can’t listen to loud music. It causes me to lose consciousness and turn into Holt. That’s why you’ve never seen us in the same room.”  
  
A beat goes by as Raven processes this, the pieces coming together as she recalls that Holt had always seemed familiar to her.   
  
“Ohhhh, that makes a lot of sense.” She says, sitting up in realization.  
  
“It does?” he asks, surprised. Raven looks down at him.  
  
“Yeah, I’ve always thought Holt seemed familiar but I couldn’t place it. That must be why.” she explains. Jackson stares at her a moment before he cracks a smile. “What?”   
  
“You don’t mind?” Jackson asks. “It doesn’t freak you out?”   
  
Raven places her hand on his shoulder, just as he did for her when she told him her secret.  
  
“Not at all. I’m glad you told me.” She smiles back.  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
She doesn’t properly meet Holt until a few weeks later.   
  
Jackson is constantly warning her that he can’t control the transformation, that if he hears any music with at least a 4x4 beat at 180 decibels he will change whether he likes it or not. That they’ll likely be interrupted at some point.   
  
Raven speaks reassuringly to him. Promising to let keep her music down around him. Swearing that she won’t mind if he changes in front of her.  
  
In the end, he is right, they do get interrupted at some point, but just as she says, she doesn’t mind at all.  
  
The bright light of the transformation makes Raven blink, her violet eyes not expecting it. It all happened within a second.  
  
The two of them had been walking home and a car had sped by blasting music with open windows. Neither could have prevented it, and now Holt Hyde stood before her.  
  
“Huh?” The redhead looked around, finding his bearings. His scarlet eyes land on Raven and they light up in recognition. “Yo, Raven, right? We got the same sixth period.”  
  
Raven recovers quickly, the shock of seeing the transformation live wearing off fast.  
  
“Yeah, that’s right. Hey, Holt.” She smiles, waving a bit.   
  
“What I’d miss? Were ya hangin’ with my nerd side? He mentioned he made a new friend.” Holt pulls out his phone to check his texts. It takes Raven a moment to realize he’s talking about Jackson.   
  
“Oh, yeah. We were just walking home and a car drove by..” she vaguely gestures to the road. “They were playing music on the radio really loud.”  
  
“Aww, Jackie boy’s being social. Good for him.” Holt grins mischievously . “Welp, as much as I’d love a couple extra hours today, Momma will have my head if I take Jackson’s time again.”   
  
Holt puts his phone away, and moves to take off his headphones, but stops short.   
  
“Oh, and I hope it goes well with you two. I’d love to have a fellow musician for a sister in law.” He winks and promptly takes his headphones off, leaving a flushed Raven behind in a flash of light.   
  
“Wha..?” Jackson’s blue eyes are full of confusion when they meet hers. And then they widen in horror. “Oh no, did Holt-“  
  
“It’s okay, Jack. Holt just said hi and changed back.” Raven quickly reassures. He looks surprised at that.   
  
“Really?” he asks. “And it wasn’t too shocking or awkward?”  
  
Her cheeks flare up again, recalling what Holt had said before he transformed. If Jackson notices, he doesn’t say anything.   
  
“Not at all.” She says, biting back a smile.


	5. look happy, you'll make it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this isn't a request i just thought of it jskskdmk  
> title from "Perfect" by P!nk

“I asked Draculaura to bite me once, y’know.” His voice cuts through the comfortable silence of laced fingers and soft breathing.

“What?” she laughs, looking over at him in surprise. “Are you serious?”

Jackson nods. “Oh, I’m serious.” he chuckles himself. “I thought she was going to faint when I asked her.”

“Poor thing.” Raven winces sympathetically. “What did she say?”

“Well she said no, of course.” He answers, “And then she told me she was a vegan and I felt pretty stupid.” He cringes at the memory.

“Aw, nooo.” She giggles again, pulling herself closer to comfort him playfully. Jackson savors the sound of her laugh and the touch of her skin. “You couldn’t have known.”

“Still.” he snorts, resting his cheek against her head. “It was pretty awkward.” They share another laugh, falling back into that comfortable silence.

“..You really wanted to be a vampire?” She asks after a while. Her voice is gentle yet serious. Jackson lifts his head and looks away.

“…Yes.” His voice is a guilty murmur. “I thought that..” he frowns when his voice trails off, almost as if it wasn’t his own accord.

Raven’s fingers trail up to his hair, stroking lightly. A small gesture that told him ‘It’s okay, you can tell me.’ He heaves a sigh and turns to look at her.

“I thought that if I was a vampire…I’d feel better about my life, myself. I thought it would solve all my problems.” He admits, leaning into her touch. A beat goes by as Raven processes this, and then her hand moves to cup his face.

“I’m glad she said no.” She voices quietly.

“Yeah?” Jackson asks, relaxing against her hand.

“Yeah.” she smiles. “‘Cuz first of all, you’re perfect the way you are.” she taps his nose, pulling a humble laugh from the boy. “And second…”

“Second?” he raises an eyebrow.

“This way, we can grow old together.” She lets her voice drop to a whisper. “You would’ve outlived me otherwise.”

Jackson sucks in a small gasp, bringing his hand up to cover the one on his face. He blinks back at her.

“Yeah,” he says, a little breathless. “Yeah, you’re right.” He turns his head to press a kiss to her palm, watching her smile again in response. It soothes the ache he felt moments ago.

Raven pulls him closer until their foreheads touch.

“I love you.” She says firmly, as if trying to drive the point home. “Okay?”

He nods, smiling as he brushes noses with her. “Okay. I love you too.” He says, closing the space between their lips.

  
_ ‘Younger me,’ _ He thinks as her arms wrap around his neck.  _ ‘You have so much to look forward to.’ _

**Author's Note:**

> fic title from "Two Worlds Collide" by Demi Lovato.


End file.
